In science, the first grade students study animals and their environments. We learn about what animal groups different animals belong to and what important body parts they have to help them survive in their environments. We discuss that it would be difficult for some animals to survive in other environments than what they are accustom to.

We challenged the students to create an environment and keep the animals in their environment. The students chose an animal and decorated cardboard pieces to look like the environment they live in. (Ocean, forest, dessert) Using little bits, the students created alarms that would let them know if the animals tried to escape their environments. Some created light alarms and/or noise alarms. Some also created moving parts to wave if the animals tried to leave their environment. This would scare the animals so they would not escape.